Carry on Sieging

A quick tongue-in-cheek look at part of the history of Dunottar Castle on Scotland’s north east coast – sieges, torture, and general unpleasantness – adapted from my book ‘Devil’s Gallop’...

Worlds within worlds

Douglas Skelton and the strands linking his fiction Four different series. Plus one standalone (that wasn’t meant to be a standalone, but that’s another story). That’s my writing output since...

Square Go: The Battle of George Square 1919

Many months ago I published here an account of a riot in Glasgow that prefigured the more famous 1919 Bloody Friday in George Square. I promised then I would publish...

Killer Queen, part two

The second part of my look at the life, and the crimes that surrounded it, of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. (Image above: Murder of Rizzio By Jean Lulves –...

Killer Queen (part one)

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, is a major figure in Scottish history – and indeed the romance of its past. Here is my take on her story. It’s a long...

Hold the front page

I was reading a magazine this morning and found a somewhat disappointing article about journalism in films, mourning the lack of romanticism in filmic depictions of the trade. The author...

Heading out west

Those who know me are aware of my love of westerns. Even some who don’t know me, and who perhaps have attended any of my events, will be aware because...

Coming soon

What lies ahead from me in 2025 I can’t believe we’re almost half way through 2025 already. I mean, where has the time gone? Things have been busy, what with...

The Kate Escape

A murder that might not have been murder. A family history filled with tragedy. Illicit love, bigamy, incest. And a daring escape from jail. This is the story of Katherine...

Crossing the Atlantic to catch a thief

Hallie Rubenhold’s new book, The Story of a Murder (published later this month), is a fresh look at the Dr Crippen case. It was, of course, famed because it was...